The 'Favourite Tea' Question?

When I'm out and about selling at a fair or market, (or 'on tour' as I call it!) I will often be asked by a customer what MY favourite tea is. I can NEVER answer this question!

It was actually something I'd never thought about before. At first I desperately tried to answer the question, thinking it was a let down not being able to give them something definitive. I began highlighting a few of my faves but as I continued to chat I soon realised I'd already pointed out half the range!

The truth is, I honestly don't have a favourite tea. I now explain that tea is a very personal choice and a decision on what tea to drink really depends on how you feel at any given time. 

With so many different teas to choose from, I tend to select my tea to suit the day. This can depend on the season, the weather, how tired I feel, which meal I'm matching it with or my mood. Sometimes I just have a real 'craving' for a particular tea. 

I realise I'm in the lucky position of having access to a huge range of teas.  However, I think you can generally cover all bases if you have these 4 types of tea in stock. 

A Black Breakfast Tea - Great as a wake-me-up in the morning. Our hand blended Good Morning is ideal if you like your tea strong. Opt for English Breakfast or Assam for a slightly lighter brew. Smoky Lapsang or Russian Caravan is great in winter with a hearty breakfast. Decaf versions of Good Morning and English breakfast are also available.

A Green Tea - during the summer months I will likely ditch the milky black tea for a lighter green tea. I have quite a range of green, to cover a few different flavour profiles and budgets. Our Japanese Sencha is a light, budget-friendly, easy-drinking green. Peaceful Green, as the name suggests, is calming and has a soft flavour. In colder months, our Chun Mee has a deeper flavour with notes of smokiness. 

If you find green tea bitter, please read my blog on Green Tea for advice in this area - choices and essential preparation.

An afternoon Tea - I will often choose a decaf or herbal tea. On the occasion I require a caffeine pick-me-up and a sneaky sweet snack then I love to opt for one of the flavoured / fruity black teas like Rose or Countess Grey. However, Darjeeling and Ceylon Orange Pekoe are light & summery - perfect if you want to keep it simple.

A Herbal Tea - Essential for the evening. I stock a huge range of herbal teas following more and more people opting for these due to cutting out caffeine for medical reasons or not wanting caffeine late afternoon or evening due to sleeping problems etc... Our cooling sweet Spearmint or powerful Peppermint also serve as great after-meal digestifs. Our yummy Goodnight is a unique blend containing linden blossom to promote sleep. Lemon & Ginger is a lovely warming brew for when you're feeling a chill.

It's all too easy to default to one particular tea, because 'it's what you always have'. There are 1,000's of teas to choose from. Try changing it up, experiment with a new flavour and expand your tea range. Tune into yourself and select your tea according to the changing seasons and the way you feel. Maybe you'll find a new 'favourite'!

Always keep tea as airtight as possible to preserve its longevity, flavour and quality.